Reflected Pleasures by Linda Conrad Read Free Book Online Page A

how she would react if he replaced those strands of hair with his lips and kissed the tender skin there.
    Would she yelp and reprimand him? Or would she giggle and go all soft and warm? It was another sensual image of hearing her moan with pleasure thatdrove him, at last, to move his gaze past her collar and on down her back.
    The new view wasn’t a whole lot better for his libido. As she reached out to brush a little girl’s hair, the white shirt stretched across her back and he got a good look at the outline of the underwear she had on beneath it.
    And underwear was the best word he could come up with. She wasn’t wearing a bra, that much he could easily see. There was no obvious horizontal strap line like a bra.
    This gizmo had shoulder straps, but it didn’t have a back strap. Instead, the flimsy material captured his attention and drove his gaze lower as it went down her back and disappeared under her waistband.
    Mercy.
    Ty straightened up and shook his head to clear it. This would never do. He needed to get her alone so they could talk —get to know each other better. There was something she was hiding and he just couldn’t get a handle on what it might be. He shouldn’t be having these thoughts about what was hiding under her blouse.
    He walked closer to the group on the floor and was amazed to see Merri helping a couple of twelve-year-olds as they applied a light shade of lipstick to their pouty young lips. What the heck would she know about putting on makeup? She didn’t wear a drop of it herself.
    â€œIt’s best if you can use a lip liner first,” she told one cute little girl with long blond braids. “Maybe I’ll bring a few out the next time I come.”
    â€œAre you coming back?” the blonde asked.
    â€œSure.” Merri’s eyes softened and she gently cupped the girl’s cheek. “I live in this town now. I’ll come out as often as I can. I promise.”
    He cleared his throat to announce his presence. Six sets of various shades of brown and blue eyes turned to stare up at him. But it was the emerald green eyes, swimming in tears behind thick glasses, that made his knees go weak.
    â€œI’ve been told to announce that dinner is ready,” he managed with a rasp. “Everyone should go wash up now.”
    â€œSo soon?” a brown-eyed girl complained with a whine.
    Merri sniffed once and laughed, throwing her arm over the girl’s shoulder. “You need to eat so you can grow straight and tall.” She looked up at Ty and continued with a grin. “We all need to eat to keep up our strength.”
    He reached out his hand to help her up. “You look beautiful when you laugh that way, Merri,” he said as she stood up beside him. “You should do it more often.”
    â€œI do laugh,” she told him with a frown.
    Rolling his eyes with exasperation, Ty shook his head. “But not around me. Is that right?”
    She chuckled, and the sound wound around his nerves and settled deep in the pit of his gut. The sweat broke out on his forehead.
    â€œDo you want to wash up before you eat?” he gulped.
    â€œWhere are we having dinner?”
    â€œI know of a wonderful place. They serve lots of vegetables and salads. You’ll probably love it.”
    â€œI haven’t heard of a place like that around town. Where would that be?”
    â€œHere. In the main dining room.”
    Her eyes lit up like he’d just given her a present. “Can we stay? Really?”
    Oh, God. She was adorable. Aunt Jewel had been right in her original assessment.
    Now he was noticing everything about her—and way too often. Dang it all.

Four
    â€œA re you tired?” Ty asked as he turned out of the Nuevo Dias Ranch road and onto the main highway.
    â€œA little,” Merri replied with a sigh. “But it’s a good tired.”
    Though it wasn’t terribly late, the sky was black and the air